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Bill · 119th Congress · HR 6719
James T. Woods Act
Refreshed 2 h ago
Introduced 2025-12-15Topic: criminal justice · technology privacy · public safetySummary
Summary by the Congressional Research ServiceJames T. Woods Act This bill expands the federal framework for combating the online exploitation of children. Among its provisions, the bill establishes new criminal offenses, expands reporting requirements, and facilitates the prosecution and sentencing of offenders. TITLE I—SAFE ACT Sentencing Accountability For Exploitation Act or the SAFE Act This title directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to federal criminal offenses involving the production, receipt, transport, shipment, or distribution of child sexual abuse material to (1) account for the actual and potential harm from the offense and changes since the last amendments with respect to the typical offense behavior and modern technologies, and (2) better reflect the spectrum of offender culpability. TITLE II—ENDING COERCION OF CHILDREN AND HARM ONLINE Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online Act or the ECCHO Act This title establishes a federal framework to combat the online coercion of minors to commit harm. The title creates new criminal offenses, expands reporting of instances involving the online coercion of minors, facilitates the prosecution of offenders, and expands protections for minors who testify in court. TITLE III—STOP SEXTORTION Stop Sextortion Act This title criminalizes threats to distribute child sexual abuse material to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress. This practice is commonly referred to as sextortion. The title also increases criminal penalties for related offenses that involve the use of child sexual abuse material to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress.
Sponsors
- Laurel M. Lee Republican sponsor
- 2 cosponsors
Action history
| Date | Chamber | Action | Status effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 346. | |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. | refer |
| 2026-03-02 | Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. | report | |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. | refer |
| 2026-01-13 | Senate | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. | refer |
| 2026-01-12 | House | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. | |
| 2026-01-12 | House | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H628) | |
| 2026-01-12 | Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H628) | floor pass | |
| 2026-01-12 | House | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6719. | |
| 2026-01-12 | House | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H628-630) | |
| 2026-01-12 | House | Ms. Lee (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. | |
| 2025-12-18 | House | Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote. | refer |
| 2025-12-18 | House | Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held | refer |
| 2025-12-15 | House | Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. | refer |
| 2025-12-15 | Introduced in House | introduce | |
| 2025-12-15 | Introduced in House | introduce |